


Make a Wish

by moonbeambucky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 05:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14206011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonbeambucky/pseuds/moonbeambucky
Summary: A night out for your birthday does not go as planned until a run in with a handsome stranger turns things around





	Make a Wish

**Author's Note:**

> This was written on tumblr for @ugh-supersoldiers Gracey’s Birthday Bash Challenge My prompt was “Of all the days you have to be a complete asshole, you pick my birthday!"

Staring at the paper placemat on the table featuring advertisements for local businesses, you couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Your boyfriend Kevin said he would take you out to dinner for your birthday. Wearing your favorite black dress that hugged your body perfectly and rose gold platform heels, you felt completely overdressed. You thought you were going to an Italian restaurant, instead you were at a  _pizzeria_ restaurant that was in desperate need of a makeover, the yellowed choking hazard sign looked more than twice your age.

Décor aside you would have accepted this place if the dining area was at least separate from the pizzeria. Instead you had a perfect view of the staff, arguing loudly over baseball as they prepared different pies, and the lineup of stools at a countertop, some taken by a few men, as they quietly eat their to the gentle buzzing of the neon sign above them.

A loud scream nearly made you spill the glass of water you were bringing to your lips. Looking over your shoulder you saw a family with two very excited children. One of the fathers tried his best to keep the rambunctious child quiet, mouthing apologies to other patrons. The other father laughed as he wiped away a glob of cheese that had fallen from the other child’s mouth. You stared at them, wistful of the love that was blatantly exuding from this family, it made you long to feel the same.

You had only been with Kevin for a few months, and while he said he loved you, you wished he would show it more often. You push the thoughts out of your head, you’re being selfish again. Kevin had just received a promotion at work, extending his hours at the office, the bags under his eyes were proof of the exhaustion quickly wearing him down. You weren’t at a fancy Italian restaurant, but that didn’t matter, you were celebrating your birthday with the one person who mattered most to you and that was more important than the location.

Kevin’s head was buried in his phone, another work related matter keeping his attention away from you again. Extending your leg out you gently began to rub your foot around his ankle. His body jerked quickly, effectively kicking your foot in the process.

“Would you cut it out?” he snapped.

The top of your foot throbbed. “Kev that hurt,” you said, biting back the tears that threatened to form, partially from the sharp pain of his shoe and your hurt feelings.  
“Sorry babe, I’m stressed,” he held up his phone, “work and all.”

Crossing your arms and pouting you waited for an actual apology and he seemed to understand, stretching his hands across the table. His eyes looked past you at first, not wanting to meet the hurt you held within your eyes, then he flashed a boyish smile that always made your heart melt and so your arms dropped and reached out to meet his. As soon as your fingers interlocked the waitress came over, nearly dropping a worn out wicker basket full of bread on your hands.

You began to peck at the slice you took, ripping bits of the doughy center off, sighing out a huff as Kevin resumed his position on his phone.

“It is  _my_  birthday you know, I wish you’d pay attention to me.”  
“Would ya calm down already Y/N! I’ve got shit to do and the more you bother me the longer it’s gonna take!” he retorted.

Picking the worst time to come over the waitress strutted up to the table, introducing herself as Katherine. The scowl on Kevin’s face turned around as he picked up the menu and began to order. You wondered how he could snap so easily and then turn it off like nothing happened. He told you this was part of his “assertiveness”, the drive and determination that helped him land his promotion. You wanted to yell at him but felt conflicted, he was working more hours, specifically telling you that tonight wouldn’t be good to go out but you insisted. You decided you would talk to him about it later.

By the time your train of thought had pulled back into the station you realized Kevin was still talking with the waitress yet he had obviously finished ordering. You piped up, clearing your throat and the smile disappeared from her face. Ignoring her less than cheerful demeanor you began to order “… and I’ll have the chicken piccata but instead of pasta could I have a side of sautéed spinach?”

“I’ll see,” she curtly replied.

The paper menu nearly ripped as she tore it from your hands. “What’s her problem?” you muttered under your breath.

“You,” Kevin plainly said.  
Your face twisted with confusion, “Excuse me?”

“Salad but no onions, dressing on the side, lemons for the water…" he cruelly mimicked. “You’re so demanding!”   
“I asked politely and it’s not that big of deal,” you responded. Kevin scoffed. “What? I can’t order what I want?”  
“I know you’re pissed at me but don’t take your shit out on Katie. She hasn’t done anything to you.”

Wearing a puzzled look you stared at Kevin, watching as his eyes darted off to the side and back to you. Turning to see your waitress talking with another table you looked back at Kevin.

“Katie?” you questioned, though it was more of a statement. “You didn’t…” you said, shaking your head back and forth, the corners of your mouth pulled down as you put the pieces together.

“What? I didn’t do shit!” Kevin defended himself, his crazed eyes stared at you without blinking.

“I can’t believe you.  **Of all the days you have to be a complete asshole, you pick my birthday!**  Bringing me to a restaurant so you could eye fuck your side bitch in front of me,” you shouted, a lot louder than you had intended, drawing the attention of the entire dining room.

Throwing your napkin on the table you grabbed your purse and stood up, “We’re done!”

Kevin called out for you to wait, not even bothering to get up. You turned around one last time, “Have a nice fucking life with Katie!” you spat.

As you stomped towards the exit you hear a roar of applause, part of you wanted to feel empowered by it but deep down you were hurt. Tears blurred your vision and you tried your best to keep them from falling until you made it outside. You would  _not_ let that jerk see you cry.

As you were nearing the door you collided with the large frame of a man getting up from one of the stools. Stuttering out an apology you ran out of the door as tears streaked down your face.

“Hey!” a voice called out for you.

It was unfamiliar, soft and gentle, far different from Kevin’s abrasive tone. If it wasn’t for the sound of heavy footsteps on the pavement you would have been more startled as someone gently reached for your shoulder. Spinning around you saw it was the man you crashed into, remembering the blur of maroon from his shirt.

Your gaze was low, much like your self-esteem. You couldn’t meet his eyes, you just wanted to go home. The thought of curling up in bed and eating everything in sight until you felt like exploding sounded like a rotten cherry on top of melted ice cream, perfect for your mood.

“Look I’m really sorry for bumping into–”  
“What?” he interjected. “No, doll, forget that. I heard what happened. I mean, the whole place did,” he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “Are you alright?” he asked.

The question, combined with the genuine concern this stranger had for you tugged at your heart. You couldn’t hold back anymore, your face contorting as you began to ugly cry but you didn’t care. Through your sobs you heard the man’s voice telling you it was going to be okay.

You struggled to control your crying, combined with sniffling and rubbing your runny nose on the back of your hand. You were surely a mess. Rummaging in his jacket the man pulled out a few napkins he had taken from the pizzeria and handed them to you. Muttering a quick thanks you began to dry your eyes, noting the black blotches of mascara on the now wet tissue.

As you were drying your cheeks the man spoke again, “No one deserves that, especially on their birthday. That guy was an asshole, he ain’t worthy of your tears.”

He handed you another napkin as the ones you had were oversaturated from your sorrow. Taking the napkin again you decided to tilt your head up, eye contact was the least you could do to show your gratitude to the kind stranger.

“Thank you, I…” you stalled, leaving your mouth hanging open as you stared at the man.

He wasn’t a stranger at all. The cap he wore to presumably hide made no difference, you recognized his face; seeing it plastered everywhere, from news reports to Buzzfeed quizzes about which Avenger you would be based on your choice of salad dressing.

“Oh my god it’s you, Sergeant Barnes or should I call you James? Or Mr. Barnes or…” you rambled, your nerves were electrified making you shake.

You had met your fair share of celebrities, this was New York after all, so seeing an actor on the street became commonplace, but an Avenger! You were definitely star struck.

“Bucky is fine,” he chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you…” he motioned, waiting for your name.  
“Y/N!” you nearly shouted, embarrassing yourself again. “Sorry! Wow, it’s just… wow!”

Staring at your shoes you kept your head down, shifted your weight back and forth until you heard him laugh. The soft sound seemed funny coming out of his intimidating frame, and slowly you were able to make eye contact with him again.

“I don’t think anyone would believe me if I said I met you, and there’s no way we’re taking a selfie because I look like absolute garbage right now,” you half-joked, wiping underneath your eyes again in hopes you didn’t look like a full raccoon.

“You look beautiful.” The compliment slipped past his lips before he realized. “Uhhh, yeah, so we can take that selfie or a Snapchat or an Instagram,” he said, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Laughter burst from you and Bucky had never heard a sweeter sound. He stared in awe as your eyes crinkled with delight as you attempted to talk in between chuckles telling him what he said wasn’t exactly correct.

“I’m still not used to all the terms,” he admitted as his cheeks were tinted pink with embarrassment.

Your mouth was pulled into a wide smile as you laughed at his innocence, noticing the sparkle in his eyes even in the dim lighting provided by the street lamps.

“So Y/N, since we can’t take a picture together do you want me to go beat up your ex?” His expression became neutral and you tensed up wondering if he was actually serious before he cracked a smile.

“Thank you but no. A light threatening would be nice though,” you proposed.

Bucky turned around taking a few steps back in the direction of the pizzeria. You called out for him, running awkwardly in your heels before he stopped and turned around. You crashed into him again, with quick reflexes he extended his arms around you to make sure you wouldn’t fall backwards from the impact.

Your hand was pressed against his chest, feeling the rapid pace of his heartbeat which mimicked your own. His eyes were clearer now in the bright reflection of a storefront. The unmistakable blue began to darken, like the deep end of a pool you were eager to jump into. Your tongue peaked out to wet your lips, an action that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Bucky. He cleared his throat and took a step back putting some much needed space between you. Always a gentleman, he knew it would be wrong to take advantage of the situation, though he couldn’t deny the fluttering in his stomach.

You had caught his attention the moment you began berating your douchebag of an ex-boyfriend in front of the restaurant. Your strength stood out to him first, and then he was floored by your beauty. Even if nothing ever came from this encounter Bucky knew he couldn’t let your birthday be filled with negative memories.

“Since it’s your birthday what do you say we turn this night around, huh? I know the best bakery in Brooklyn that’ll make you forget all the bad shit from earlier, sound good?” he asked, his mouth pulling into a cute lopsided smile.

Your head began to nod before the words came out, “Yeah, I’d love to.”

* * *

A quick cab ride brought you to a modern bakery, its chevron mint walls immediately standing out through the large glass windows. You never pictured Bucky would step foot in such a trendy place, but it seemed like there was a lot more to the man out of time than you thought and you definitely wanted to know more.  

Bucky opened the door, following you inside. The glass display case had rows of sweets from intricately decorated cupcakes, colorful cake pops and even donuts made to look like unicorns. You laughed to yourself imagining Bucky eating one of those.

He came up beside you, asking what you would like. “It all looks so good. Surprise me!” you beamed and Bucky smiled in response.

In the bright light of the bakery you took notice of his sharp jawline, cutting through the stubble that peppered his face. He chewed on his bottom lip as he scoured the cases with determination, giving careful thought as to what he would order, knowing his word was on the line now.

The buzzing from your bag that you had desperately been ignoring persisted so you stepped to the side to pull out your phone. You had dozens of messages from friends asking what happened. Scrolling through the texts you learned that Kevin had already changed his Facebook status, new profile picture included with him and Katie. You hate to admit the hurt you felt, even knowing you deserved better. Shutting your phone off seemed like the best thing to do, not allowing the constant buzz of messages become the Tell-Tale of your broken Heart.

After ordering Bucky had turned around to find you and grab a table, instead he saw the expression on your face, your eyebrows were scrunched, the corners of your mouth pulling down as you stared at your phone. He rushed over to you asking if you were alright. You lied, throwing your phone in your bag.

He was proficient in reading people, and instead of calling out your fib he took your hand in his flesh one, his thumb gently running across your knuckles. “It’s gonna be alright Y/N, I promise.”

His gentle tone washed over you, like a wave crashing upon the shore, dragging away your insecurities each time it pulled back. With Bucky you felt lighter, carefree. Staring into his steel blue eyes you smiled, you felt happiness.

“I know the best place we can go to eat this,” he stated, though he waited for confirmation that you wanted to follow him again. After shaking your head he turned around, “Chloe can we take that to go?”

Bucky walked over to the girl behind the counter, whispering something else you couldn’t hear. A few moments later you and Bucky were headed out of the door, looping your arm through his as he carried a brown shopping bag in his other hand.

The walk was accompanied by small talk, easy going subjects Bucky knew would be a good distraction for your mind, though you were already distracted by the dense muscle you were clinging to, inadvertently pressing yourself closer to him with each stride. The air had gotten chiller and when you snapped out of your haze you realized why.

Bucky had walked you to Brooklyn Bridge Park, continuing until you were at a railing overlooking the East River. The bridge stood tall to your right and ahead was the twinkling skyline of Manhattan.

“This view’s a lot better, huh?” he commented.  
“I’ll say,” you sighed, turning back to smile at him.

Beside you were a row of tables and Bucky pulled out your chair. His kind gestures reminded you of Kevin’s selfishness, he never bothered to be considerate and you wondered why it took you so long to see that. Bucky sat beside you, asking if you would close your eyes. You heard the rustling of the paper bag and a few moments later he told you to open them.

On the table was a plate holding a giant cupcake, thrice the size of any one you’ve ever seen. The top had swirled buttercream rosettes with fondant flowers and pearls that sparkled in the moonlight. In the center was a single candle steadily flickering.

“Happy birthday Y/N,” Bucky said.

You felt overwhelmed with emotion, a near stranger who’s saved the world so many times who now went out of his way to save your night.

“Bucky, oh my… wow,” you began, your palm placed over your rapidly beating heart. “You shouldn’t have!”  
“What kind of man would I be if I let a beautiful woman walk out in tears on her birthday?”

Tears pricked at the back of your eyes as you stared at him with a heartfelt smile.

“Make a wish,” he insisted.

You held his gaze for a few moments before turning to blow out the candle. Bucky handed you a fork and napkin, knowing a dessert of this size would be far too messy to eat without one.

“You’re having some of this too,” you told him.

Faint music filled the air from a nearby pier as you and Bucky sat together, learning more about each other as the cupcake slowly disappeared. Bucky blushed under your touch as you thumbed away frosting from the corner of his mouth, slightly grazing the softness of his lips. At some point his arm stretched behind you and it felt right to nestle yourself closer to him. Longing stares were broken with laughter as you enjoyed the night together. His metal palm was flat on the table, shifting closer to him you placed your hand on top of his. Bucky tensed up with concern though he quickly relaxed as you ran your thumb along the cool metal ridges and plates, looking up towards him with smiling acceptance.

Clearing his throat, “Maybe we could take that selfie after all, just for us though,” Bucky suggested with boyish delight as his hand wrapped around your shoulder, holding you tighter.

A smile spread across your face, heart fluttering with delight. It looks like your wish was already starting to come true, and unbeknownst to you, so was Bucky’s. 


End file.
